Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and 11 assists, Myles Turner added 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers beat Charlotte 125-113 – with Hornets All-Star guard LaMelo Ball re-injuring his left ankle after stepping on a fan’s foot.
Bennedict Mathurin had 20 points off the bench, including Indiana’s first 10 points of the fourth quarter as the Pacers won for the sixth time in eight games. Buddy Hield added 19 points.
Ball finished with 26 points for the Hornets, but left with 1:34 left when he re-injured his left ankle – the same one that kept him out of the first 13 games of the season.
Ball was hurt attempting to save a ball from going out of bounds near where coach Steve Clifford was standing, but stepped on a fan’s foot who was seated courtside and rolled his ankle as he attempted to brace himself from going into the crowd. He immediately limped toward the bench and then headed straight to the locker room.
Hornets All-Star guard LaMelo Ball re-injuring his left ankle after stepping on a fan’s foot
Tyrese Haliburton brings ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half
There was no immediate word on the extent of the injury.
‘He rolled it on a fan’s foot is what I was told,’ Clifford said. ‘Hopefully, it’s not bad but I’m sure we won’t know anything until tomorrow.’
Ball was not made available for comment after the game.
It was Ball’s third game back, but his first at home and he received a huge ovation during pre-game warmups.
While the Hornets have been plagued with injuries – Cody Martin, Gordon Hayward and Dennis Smith Jr. are also out – the Pacers (7-6) just seem to keep rolling along.
Ball drives to basket while guarded by Indiana Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard before getting hurt
SUNS 130, WARRIORS 119
Cameron Payne scored a career-high 29 points, Devin Booker added 27 as the Phoenix Suns easily overcame Stephen Curry’s 50-point night to beat the Golden State Warriors 130-119 on Wednesday.
The Suns controlled most of the game despite Curry’s scoring. The eight-time All-Star made 17 of 28 shots, going 7 of 11 from 3-point range.
The problem for the Warriors was nobody else was helping. Klay Thompson finished with 19 points but shot just 6 of 17. The Warriors — defending NBA champs — fell to 6-9.
Curry’s scoring prowess is expected, but it was countered by one of the best games of Payne’s career. Starting in place of the injured Chris Paul, the 6-foot-3 guard made 9 of 17 shots, including 6 of 10 from beyond the arc.
The Suns led 103-89 going into the fourth quarter. The Warriors quickly cut into that margin but couldn’t get closer than eight points. Damion Lee hit back-to-back 3-pointers against his former team to keep the Suns comfortably ahead.
The Suns shot 21 of 40 (52.5 percent) from 3-point range. Mikal Bridges had 23 points, making 5 of 8 3-pointers.
Steph Curry of Golden State Warriors shoots ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns
CELTICS 126, HAWKS 101
Jaylen Brown scored 22 points to lead a balanced Boston attack and the East-leading Celtics stretched their winning streak to eight with a 126-101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
The Celtics were missing injured guards Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon. It hardly mattered.
There were plenty of players to fill the void against the Hawks, who were coming off a big win at Milwaukee and eager to show they could challenge the best in the conference. Not on this night.
Boston took control in the first quarter against the cold-shooting Hawks, whose occasional spurts were quickly snuffed out by the Celtics´ stifling defense.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 27 points, but was held to 10-of-23 shooting, including a mere 2 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Jaylen Brown (7) shoots over Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) during first half of action
KNICKS 106, NUGGETS 103
Julius Randle scored a season-high 34 points and the New York Knicks took advantage of Nikola Jokic’s absence to win in Denver for the first time in 16 years, rallying past the Nuggets 106-103 on Wednesday night.
Randle hit 1 of 2 free throws to snap a tie with 50.6 seconds left. Jalen Brunson added 21 points, including two free throws with 10.5 seconds remaining.
The Knicks handed a team its first home loss for the second straight night after winning in Utah on Tuesday. Denver’s loss left the NBA with no unbeaten teams at home.
Jokic, the two-time reigning league MVP, was placed in COVID-19 protocols on Tuesday.
Jamal Murray scored 21 points for Denver, but was just 7 of 20 from the field and his desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer was an airball.
Bones Hyland returned from COVID-19 protocols to also score 21 points for the Nuggets, who were outscored 8-0 to close the game. Denver had won nine straight overall against New York and last lost at home to the Knicks on Nov. 8, 2006.
Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket against the Denver Nuggets
BUCKS 113, CAVALIERS 98
Brook Lopez shot 7 for 9 from 3-point range and scored 29 points and Milwaukee beat skidding Cleveland.
The Cavaliers have lost five straight games since racing to an 8-1 start.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks. Jordan Nwora had a season-high 21 points to help the Bucks outscore the Cavaliers 45-20 in bench points.
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland each had 23 points for the Cavaliers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of Milwaukee Bucks shoots a free throw vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
PELICANS 124, BULLS 110
CJ McCollum scored 23 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 22 points and New Orleans its second straight game without Zion Williamson in the lineup, beating Chicago.
Trey Murphy III hit five 3s and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double, and the Pelicans combined to make 17 3-pointers en route to their third straight win overall, and fourth in five games.
DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Zach LaVine had 25 for Chicago. The Bulls have dropped three straight, starting with their home loss to New Orleans on Nov. 9.
With Williamson watching from the bench with a bruised right foot, New Orleans opened a lead as large as 26 points when Naji Marshall´s 3 made it 108-82 with 8:10 left in the fourth quarter.
CJ McCollum #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans dribbles the ball against the Chicago Bulls
ROCKETS 101, MAVERICKS 92
Kevin Porter Jr. had 17 points and 11 rebounds and eight assists as last-place Houston took advantage of Luka Doncic’s absence in a victory over Dallas.
Doncic was out for rest a night after he played 40 minutes to help prevent the Mavericks from blowing a 25-point lead in a two-point victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Christian Wood, traded to Dallas in the offseason after blossoming from a journeyman into a 20-point scorer for the Rockets, scored 26 points in his first game against his former team.
O.G. Anunoby (3) goes to shoot a basket as Miami Heat guard Max Strus (31) defends
TIMBERWOLVES 126, MAGIC 108
Anthony Edwards scored 35 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 as Minnesota beat Orlando after taking a 27-point lead in the first half.
Edwards and Towns had scoring season highs and the Timberwolves shot 52.3 percent in their biggest victory margin of the season.
Rudy Gobert, the NBA’s leading rebounder, had 16 points and eight rebounds to help Minnesota win back-to-back road games for the first time this season.
Bol Bol led the Magic with a career-high 26 points and added 12 rebounds.
Anthony Edwards (1) shoots ball against the Orlando Magic in first quarter at Amway Center
THUNDER 121, WIZARDS 120
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining and matched a career high with 42 points in Oklahoma City’s victory over Washington.
Alexander scored 30 points in the second half, making nine of 10 field goals.
Kristips Porzingis scored 27 points for Washington, which had its four-game winning streak halted.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles up court during the first half against Washington Wizards
RAPTORS 112, HEAT 104
O.G. Anunoby scored a season-high 32 points and matched his season high with 10 rebounds and Toronto used a 21-0 run in the third quarter to beat Miami, ending the Heat’s winning streak at three.
Fred VanVleet returned from illness to score 23 points to help Toronto extend its home winning streak to four. The Raptors are 6-1 at home this season.
Scottie Barnes added 19 points, Chris Boucher had 15 and Thad Young 12. Anunoby shot 13 for 18, matching his career high for field goals.
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Miami’s Max Strus scored 20 points and Kyle Lowry had 19 against his former team.
Kevin Porter Jr. #3 of the Houston Rockets goes up for rebound against the Dallas Mavericks
